@BryanRenbaum
The state of Maryland has now provided more than $9 million in COVID-19 relief funds to support agriculture and seafood producers.
The money was allocated by Maryland’s Departments of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the request of Gov. Larry Hogan and is part of the state’s $600-plus million emergency economic relief plan.
The funding milestone was announced by Hogan, Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder and DNR Secretary Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio in a series of statements on Tuesday.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented hardship for so many, and while Maryland’s farmers and producers are certainly no exception, they have continued to work hard every single day to support our food supply chain,” Hogan said. “We remain strongly committed to helping Maryland’s agricultural community as we weather this storm together.”
“This year has been a challenge unlike any other, and that is especially true for the state’s food production businesses,” Bartenfelder said. “While we understand this money will not make everyone whole, it is the least we can do to provide some relief to the men and women who have worked throughout this public health crisis to ensure that we continue to have reliable access to a safe food supply.”
“This funding provides much-needed relief to help eligible individuals in the seafood industry get through these tough market conditions,” Haddaway-Riccio said. “With the governor’s leadership and our strong federal partnerships, we have worked to make the application process as seamless as possible for those who need it. We will continue working with industry on long-term strategies to recover and strengthen Maryland’s markets post-pandemic.”
There are 271,061 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Maryland as of Tuesday morning, according to the state’s Department of Health and 5,636 people in Maryland have died from the virus. The state’s positivity rate is at 8.1%, which is well above CDC recommended guidelines for containment. Maryland has conducted more than 5.6 million COVID-19 tests.
More than 162,000 new cases of COVID-19 were reported nationwide on Monday.
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